In A Dangerous Time
by The-3-Sueslayers
Summary: PostRD. Ike returns to Tellius, with a mysterious assassin stalking him. Can Sanaki figure out who it is and how to stop them before it's too late? Sueslayer2, IkeXSanaki.
1. Chapter 1

Well, this is a story that is a continuation of She's so high and Lovers in a Dangerous Time, chapters 3 and 4 of my story, 'in a Dangerous Time'. This is just the prologue.

* * *

_I always needed time on my own  
I never thought I'd need you there when I cried._

Sanaki stared at the ceiling, stretched out on her bed. Three years. Three years waiting, not knowing whether he would ever be back or not, not knowing if he was alive or dead, if he missed her and still loved her. Three years of loneliness. They had said she would forget him eventually. Boy, how wrong had they been.

__

And the days feel like years when I'm alone  
And the bed where you lie is made up on your side

She remembered how it felt to have him near her, and it made her smile. She remembered the strange and funny things that had happened to them, and her smile grew. They had been together for such a short time, it seemed, and yet it had been perfect. Colour had come into the dull world of Beignion's Apostle when he had arrived, a whirlwind to stir up her life. At first, she had hated him for it, but soon she had seen that he had been right all along.

__

When you walk away, I count the steps that you take.  
Do you see how much I need you right now?

She wondered how he was doing. Was he having many adventures out there, wherever he was? Of course he was. Wherever there was trouble, Ike was always in it. She wondered if, when he came back, he would tell her the stories of his adventures. But would he come back at all? The question burned in her mind. She trusted him, but she didn't know if he _could_ return.

__

When you're gone,  
the pieces of my heart are missing you.  
When you're gone,  
the face I came to know is missing too.  
When you're gone  
the words I need to hear to always get me through the day,  
and make it ok...  
I miss you.

She got out of her bed, and donned her Empress' robes over the light dress she had been wearing. There were things to do, things that needed to get done, places she needed to be. For instance, right now she had a parley to attend. Though life went on, it seemed strangely empty to her. The more she tried to fill her life, the emptier it seemed.

__

I've never felt this way before  
Everything that I do reminds me of you

She carefully followed the Dance master's moves, making sure to copy them exactly. Her legs ached, but she did not say anything. Learning to dance was one of the things she had done to try to keep her mind off of her friend. It had failed utterly.

"Alright, now you try it, Sanaki," her dance teacher said.

Sanaki began. She moved swiftly, gracefully, but then she faltered and her leg dropped to the ground.

"It's alright," her teacher said. "You'll get it eventually. See, it's like _this_."

__

And the clothes you left, they lie on the floor  
And they smell just like you, I love the things that you do

On the back of a chair in her bedroom hung a cape. Ike's cape. He had left one night while she was asleep, and as he had left, he had wrapped it around her. When she had woken up, she had seen it, realized what it had meant, and cried into it for Goddess only knows how long. Now she sat in the chair, reading a book. The brush of the cape against her shoulders was a fondly remembered sensation.

__

When you walk away, I count the steps that you take.  
Do you see how much I need you right now?

She stood in the empty room. She would get it right, she knew, eventually. She had to. She began, but then, a memory came into her head, and she smiled and stopped.

__

"Sanaki, why aren't you dancing?" Sigrun asked.

"You know very well I can't dance," Sanaki replied. "Besides, I don't have a partner."

"What about Ike?" Sigrun said, pointing to the blue-haired young man who stood off to the side, talking to some others.

"Dance with him?" Sanaki asked. She could feel her cheeks reddening.

"Why not?" Sigrun said. "You like him, don't you?"

"Very much," Sanaki said, "But..."

"Hey, Ike!" Sigrun called.

Ike looked over, and walked to where they stood. "What is it?"

Sigrun looked at Sanaki expectantly.

"Well..." Sanaki said.

When you're gone,  
the pieces of my heart are missing you.  
When you're gone,  
the face I came to know is missing too.  
When you're gone  
the words I need to hear to always get me through the day,  
and make it ok...  
I miss you.

She had chickened out, lied through her teeth, and asked him a question. He had answered, and gone back to talk to the others. Sanaki had been too embarrassed to go and join them. She had never gotten another chance to try and dance with him again. Even if she had, she had been so ashamed of her lack of dancing ability that she probably would have chickened out again. That was part of the reason she had been so determined to learn to dance.

Maybe she could use her rebellious memory to her advantage. She conjured up an image of him in her mind, easily and clearly. She imagined him there, right in front of her. She decided to dance for him, show she could. She closed her eyes.

__

We were made for each other,  
out here forever.  
I know we were.

She glided through the steps, barely feeling her feet move. Her eyes were still closed, and she could almost hear the music playing. It was suddenly so easy, so thrilling. Twirling, a whirl, a lift... and a final, slow spiral.

She heard the applause of a single person echo through the room.

__

All I ever wanted was for you to know,  
everything I'd do, I'd give my heart and soul.  
I can hardly breathe I need to feel you here with me.

Her eyes flew open, and for a moment she wondered if she was hallucinating. Ike stood in front of her, clapping and smiling. His pack was on his shoulders, his sword at his waist. The same stance, the same smile.

"Ike!" she cried. She raced over and threw her arms around him. He hugged her back, and she could feel his happiness.

"You have no idea how much I missed you," he said. He kissed her.

"Oh, yes I _do_," she replied.

__

When you're gone,  
the pieces of my heart are missing you.  
When you're gone,  
the face I came to know is missing too.  
When you're gone  
the words I need to hear to always get me through the day,  
and make it ok...  
I miss you.


	2. Chapter 2

Well, Ike has returned. Yayy! And, by the way, my other story is called 'pigheaded' now. This is short, but the next will be longer.

Don't own! On with the show!

* * *

They sat together in a secluded little park. Only the occasional person ever came here, it was far overshadowed by the more easily accessible and much grander park nearby. However, this one had a charm of its own, and part of that was the peace and quiet. Sanaki knew it well, this park had always been her little hiding place when she had to escape from being only rank. Here, she would pick flowers, throw stones into the crystal pool and make wishes, and just take time to be herself. The only other person who knew about her hiding place was Ike, who had stumbled upon her there when he first came with Elincia to ask for her help. It had been awkward, but now she was glad to have someone with which to share her favourite secret.

Now they sat on the edge of the cracked fountain. It no longer pumped out water, and its surface was all overgrown with vines, but the water in it was still crystal-clear, except the occasional petal from the vines.

"Sanaki..." Ike said. He wished he knew how to say some of the things he wanted to say, that he had missed her, that he hoped she hadn't changed too much, that he hoped she still loved him like she had before, but he didn't know how. Three years was a long time for a fragile bond to stand. So he settled for a slightly awkward, "You're looking well."

"As are you," she replied. "I see travelling agrees with you."

"It always has," said Ike, "But this adventure was rather lonely. Though I met other people and made new friends, we always had to part ways, because they had their own paths to follow, and a homeless wanderer can never keep up a friendship for long with someone who has somewhere to stay, and thoughts of my old life and promises kept me moving. I missed my old friends, I missed Tellius, I missed my home... I missed you."

Sanaki smiled sadly at him. "And now the wanderer is back where he came from. But will you stay, or will our bond be as bittersweet as the ones you made on your journey?"

"I'll go places around Tellius," said Ike, "I've got to visit the old group, Mist, I'll have to go see my home again... But I'm content, for now, with what Tellius has for me."

Sanaki smiled, more happily this time. "Then, as long as you are on Tellius, we can write letters to each other, and you can tell me of our old friends and what has been happening to them. There will be no more uncertainty, I won't have to wonder if you are alive or dead or captured, or if you'd forgotten all about me."

Ike smiled himself. "I would never forget you. As for the other things, they will not happen now, in a peaceful continent. I can easily turn aside brigands, and that's all the danger there really is in Tellius." He seemed to put some unconscious stress on 'in Tellius'. Sanaki wondered what danger he might have encountered outside of their homeland.

"So what happened to you on your journey, anyway?" Sanaki asked. "Whatever it is, it must have been interesting. So tell me about it."

"You sure you want to hear?" Ike asked. "It was not one of my most successful adventures."

"I want to hear," said Sanaki. "Now stop making me more curious. And no skimming!"

"Fine," laughed Ike. "I can see you haven't changed."

"Not one bit," agreed Sanaki, "besides learning a couple of new things."

"Alright," said Ike, "Here's my story..."


	3. Chapter 3

Ike's story. His journey. :D I own nothing!

* * *

__

Another summer day  
has come and gone away.  
In Paris or Rome...  
but I wanna go home  
let me go home.

"It was fairly warm there, when I arrived," began Ike. "To this day, I still don't know the name of the continent I went to. It was beautiful in the summer- there were flowers everywhere, and the breeze smelled of lilies in some places. And there were roses... beautiful blue ones. You would have loved the flowers. And in the summer, there was... some sort of holy time. There were pilgrims out on the road, travelling, all to the same place. Sometimes I stayed with a pilgrim group for a few days, but never for very long, because I wasn't going to the same place they were.

__

Maybe surrounded by  
A million people I  
Still feel all alone  
I just wanna go home  
Oh, I miss you, you know

"The place they were headed... I think it was a mountain of some sort. I saw it from a distance... it was quite beautiful. And it was easy to find lodging, there were very cheap inns, or people would let you stay the night if you helped them with household chores, so I was never left without a bed, or at least a pallet. I finally reached their capital city... the entire continent is a kingdom, ruled by a man they hailed as a god. Fairly peaceful, since they had none to make war on.

__

And I've been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you  
Each one a line or two  
"I'm fine baby, how are you?"

"They knew of Tellius there. There is a place that would have let me send you a letter. I tried... but I couldn't think of anything to write, and the place closed before I could finish the letter. I would have written... I'm sorry, you must think I'm an idiot now..."

"Of course not," said Sanaki. "I would have liked a letter, but it doesn't matter now. Go on, what else did you see in the capital city?"

__

Well I would send them but I know that it's just not enough.  
My words were cold and flat,  
and you deserve more than that.

"The capital was interesting. I saw a cathedral, at the back of the city. It payed homage to a sun God, a moon Goddess, and their Star-children. It was a grand cathedral, and there were letters stuck in all the cracks in an old wall. When I asked one of the priests about that, they said the letters were for... what were their names... Meraci, the Moon Goddess, and Oruin, the Sun God. Those were all prayers, those letters. It was incredible, and some of the letters were more than eighty years old. There were many places to see, but I left the capital before seeing them all. It was too busy, to big, and reminded me too much of here. So, soon I moved on. It was early fall then, the weather was just starting to get chilly.

On the road, I met a man, not much younger than me. He said his name was Roy, and we travelled together for a while. We became great friends, and he's a brilliant swordsman. We sparred a lot. When I asked him why he was on the move, he said he couldn't stay very long in any one city, that he had made some enemies and didn't want to stir up old quarrels.

__

Another aeroplane,  
another sunny place.  
I'm lucky I know,  
but I wanna go home.  
I've got to go home.

"We travelled together for some time, but then, as always, we parted ways. I travelled alone again. But before we said goodbye, he told me that while I was in the country, to watch out for a group called... oh, I don't remember... what was it? Ah, yes, he called them _Nanos_. I didn't really understand what he meant, but I remembered it.

__

Let me go home  
I'm just too far from where you are  
I wanna come home

"So I travelled alone some more. I stayed in a little, hospitable town who needed help with their harvest for the winter. Some bandits attacked the town, but the town had a militia and I had Ragnell. Naturally, the bandits didn't take much away from that battle. The people of the town offered me a place to stay, a home. One of the men of the village wanted to wed his daughter to me. She was a friendly girl, but I still remembered, still missed you. So I said no, and was on my way again.

__

And I feel just like I'm living someone else's life,  
it's like I just stepped outside  
when everything was going right.

"After a while, I came upon another city. It wasn't the capital, but it was... sort of the centre of the country anyway. It was certainly the most alive. It smelled at times, and was dirty and disgusting, the back streets were dark and full of idiot thieves. It was, I must say, never boring.

__

And I know just why you could not  
Come along with me  
'Cause this was not your dream  
But you always believed in me

"I got a job for a few months there, to get some travelling funds. It was over, and I was about to be on my way again. I got a letter, delivered to me by a little marketplace boy. It was from Roy. In it he said that the _Nanos_ had finally caught up to him, that he couldn't escape this time. Now he explained why he was being hunted. He knew all about them, and they didn't like that. They worked through secrecy, but Roy had the power to tell the world and have them destroyed, and plus he had something they wanted. His sword. He said the Sun God blessed it and gave it the power of fire, and to open doors no key could. He said he needed my help. He had left his sword in a vault in the city, and he had sent me the key and code to open it. He wanted me to destroy it.

"From talking to the little boy and some research, I found where Roy was being held. So I broke him out. 'Come back to Tellius with me' I said. 'you'll be safe there.' But he didn't want to. He said he would take his sword and go far, far away, further than Tellius, somewhere he wouldn't endanger anyone. So we went to the harbour. Roy's sister had a ship that she gave him, and we sailed to another place, somewhere far away. Roy liked it there, and he greatly loved a girl we met there. So that was where he stayed. He told me to take the boat and return to Tellius. I wanted to, very much. I missed my home and had enough adventure, and I missed you greatly. But I had somewhere to go first.

__

Another winter day  
has come and gone away.  
In even Paris and Rome,  
I wanna go home  
Let me go home.

"I returned to the continent with the Nanos on it. I took all the secrets that Roy had told me he had discovered about them, and wrote them in a letter to a powerful mage, Roy's uncle, who had given him the sword and was an enemy of the Nanos. Then I turned my prow toward Tellius, toward home.

__

And I'm surrounded by  
A million people, I  
Still feel all alone.  
Oh, let me go home,  
oh, I miss you, you know.

"It was a long sail. I had to operate the boat by myself, and there was a storm on the way, and my boat broke. I stopped at an island to repair my boat and replenish my supplies. Then, I came straight back to Tellius and came to see you. I had brought you a gift... but it sank when my ship was broken."

"That's alright," said Sanaki. "It doesn't matter. I'm just glad you've returned."

__

Let me go home,  
I've had my run,  
baby, I'm done,  
I gotta go home.  
Let me go home,  
it will all be all right,  
I'll be home tonight.  
I'm coming back home.

They leaned against each other, savouring the peace of being together at last. Story told, Ike was quite willing to let Sanaki do the talking.

"Ike," said Sanaki. "These _nanos_. What did they really do, besides kidnap your friend?"

"That's the thing. They were-"

Ike's words were interrupted by a low voice from behind the two of them. "I'm sorry, but that information is not available to you at this time, lady Sanaki." The hooded person turned to Ike. "I can see you love her. We will leave her alone if you co operate, but should you choose to fight, she might get... injured in the struggle. Surrender, and I won't have to hurt anyone."


	4. Chapter 4

Um, is anybody actually reading this? If you are, please review. I don't really know if anyone actually looks at this at all. D:

* * *

"Sanaki!" said Ike, speaking with a fear that came from deep inside.

"Ike, We can do this!" she said, pulling out her Tome. "Whoever that is is no match for the two of us."

Ike whipped our Ragnell and sent it in a devastating attack down toward the person. But a dagger was brought up and easily blocked it. Ike brought Ragnell down again and again, but whoever it was matched his every blow.

_Keep at it, Ike,_ Sanaki thought, flipping through her Tome. _One spell... come on..._

But it was to no avail. One second the person was holding Ike's sword up, and then they were behind Sanaki with a knife to her throat. Sanaki saw a lock of blond hair. Now that she was up close, the voice, she realized, was that of a woman, and the hands were to slim to be any man.

"Surrender, Ike, or Sanaki is dead, and you will be blamed."

Ike hung his head. He dropped his sword to the ground. "Just let her go. Kill me, if that is what you wish, but let Sanaki go."

_No, no, keep her distracted,_ Sanaki thought. _Just keep her distracted for a minute, Ike_. She willed him to hear her.

"You must tell me where the Sword is now, first," the woman said. "I am a professional Assassin, I can cut her throat and make it look like Ragnell did it, then have Beignion hunt you down for me. This is what happens when someone defies Nano Dios, Ike. This is what happens."

_Good, keep going, you egomaniac,_ thought Sanaki. She hoped and prayed to the Goddess that this woman was as theatrical when she thought she had won as most were. She saw Ike look at her out of the corner of his eye, she winked at him.

"What do you plan on doing with me?" Ike asked. "I can, and will, die for a friend." _Good job, Ike, _thought Sanaki. _Keep her going..._

"Oh, it will be worse than death, Ike," said the assassin woman. "Much, much worse. You will help us find the Sword or you will wish you had never been born..."

The woman continued on. Slowly, carefully, Sanaki summoned up the power for her strongest spell. It trickled up from her heart, filling her loose hands, making every limb burn with power. At the last second, she released it with a soundless cry. She felt fire surround the woman behind her, and Sanaki's slight frame was sent flying by the blast. She cried out again as she was flung in the air.

Suddenly, there was a warm, solid something behind her. Ike had flung himself where she was landing, catching her, shielding her from the hard ground. "Sanaki!" he said as the breath hissed out of him. "Are you alright?"

"Ike, I'm fine," Sanaki said. "Where's the assassin woman?"

"Woman?" Ike asked. "How do you know it was female?"

"I could tell. She had a woman's haircut," said Sanaki, "and the hands were too slim. The voice, from up close, was also feminine."

"Hmm," said Ike. "That makes sense."

Sanaki got up and looked around. "She's gone," she said. "I think my spell sent her away to lick her wounds. Come, back to the Cathedral, we can talk there and no one will disturb us."

"Alright," said Ike. "Let's go." He put an arm on the ground and propped himself up, then pulled himself to his feet.

He held Ragnell in one hand. All the way back Sanaki stayed close to him, a spell seconds away from firing off. Only when they were safely in her bedroom in the Cathedral did she relax and let the magic lie at rest again. She was to exhausted and sore to notice the strange looks some of the nobles gave the pair as they disappeared into Sanaki's room without a word. Sanaki sat very close to Ike, and for a moment he just put his arms around her and was silent.

"Stay with me, Ike," begged Sanaki. "Stay in Begnion. You'll be safe here."

Ike sighed wearily, his chin sitting on her head. "I can't," he said. "I am putting you and all around you in danger by being here. Didn't you say Princess Leanne and Prince Naesala are coming to visit soon? Say she struck at Leanne, or one of her children, next. I must flee to where she can only hurt me. I would like to do some research at the library, then leave."

Sanaki put her arms around him, holding him close. She said nothing. Then, "I must know. Who are the Nano Dios? Is this the Nanos? The Sword... are they talking about Roy's?"

"Probably," said Ike. "You see, the Nanos are... controlling that continent. They are behind every Royal, they back every church. Every man or woman in a seat of real power, they have over a barrel. They blackmail, kidnap, torture, and kill to gain power, and that continent... Aya, it was called, is only a stepping-off point for them. What they really want is the Sword, and from there, the world under their heel. How they found me I don't know. I thought they had no power outside of Aya. They must have people here, or have tracked me all the way from Aya."

"I will search," said Sanaki. "I will find whoever spilled on you and have them thrown in prison... or something! I will find the assassin, too! Then you can be safe here. And if I can't trust anyone, I'll do it myself!"

"That is very kind of you," said Ike. "But I will research, find a map of Tellius, then I will go. Rule in peace, Sanaki. I don't want to bring you any more pain than I already have."

Sanaki felt her eyes fill with tears at the thought of losing him again, this time for good. She cried into his shoulder. "I'll miss you."

Sanaki felt wetness on her head. Tears. Ike, the warrior, the blunt, the brave, the strong, was crying? "Sanaki," he said. "Try to forget me when I'm gone. It will be better that way." Every word he said sounded pained, like he was so longing to take it all back.

"No!" said Sanaki. "Not ever. Not now, not ever! Do you hear me? I fell for you the first time we met, though I may not have known it at the time, and I may have been an idiot, but I have loved you ever since we met. I waited for you for three years. I have always loved you, Ike, and I always will. Don't ask of me the one thing I cannot do."

"I love you, Sanaki," said Ike. "I... always will, too. I will never forget you. But..." and here his voice cracked, "I must stay away from you, you who I want the most in the world, to keep you safe. As long as you are safe... I will be as happy as I can be. I'm sorry, Sanaki. I... I wish there was another way."

The two cried together, neither wanting to come to terms with what had just been said. They cried for what seemed like forever, cherishing what might be the last moment they ever spent together, when they could be simply lovers. Ike kissed Sanaki one last time, but it was filled with tears. Then they slept, weak and weary... just two young people, broken-hearted and alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Ok, cool! So somebody really does like this story! Thanks a lot to my two reviewers! -gives cake- Well, I'll continue, then! :D This chapter might be cheezy, but it's written to a Celine Dion song... can it really be anything else? I love her, but she really is cheezy. Of course, so am I! :D -is in good mood-

* * *

Ike was silent and brooding for the time he stayed at the Cathedral. He didn't speak much, and it didn't look like he'd ever smile again. The two were together rarely besides researching things, and when they were, they simply sat together and held each other tight. Then, one morning she woke, and he was gone.

__

One heart you are following...

You can run and you can begin  
In a place where you don't fit in  
_Love will find a way_

She couldn't believe it. Six days after he had come back, he was gone again, this time for good. She buried her head in her pillow and just lay there, letting all her dreams of him staying by her forever slowly fade.

A quiet voice interrupted her dreams. "Um, Sanaki?"

Sanaki looked up to see a friend of hers. Elya, the daughter of one of the maids and the only other girl her age in the castle. The two had become friends when Sanaki returned to Beignion, because she still kept that desire to be treated as a girl, not an Empress, by at least somebody. "What is it?" she said quietly, in a voice weighed down by grief.

"I just came to bring something to your attention. Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Elya sat on the edge of Sanaki's bed. "All the nobles think you're ill, because you haven't come out of here since Ike left. They can't imagine that you'd be missing him." She grinned. "Sigrun and Tainith have been pretty much running the place for you, and doing it well, too."

"So?"

"Well, if you can't function properly here, is there really any meaning to you being here and not, say, going after a certain fleeing mercenary? After all, they say your mother ran away with a young lordling for a while, then came back wiser and stronger." She cocked her head at Sanaki, smiling.

__

When you're down, you can start again  
Turn around and you think you're in  
Love will find a place

"Go after him...?" she said, a smile slowly spreading across her face. It sounded so good.

"Don't let him get away," Elya said, encouraging. "He is possibly the best thing that ever happened to you, and now he's trying to run? Don't let him." She pulled out a ledger from the low bag slung over her shoulder. "I've been doing a bit of research myself. Here's a copy of what you need to know on those Nanos, and a map of Tellius."

"Elya!" Sanaki said, laughing for the first time in days. "You were spying on us!"

"Got that right," Elya said. "And I looked over Ike's shoulder while he was researching, just an innocent maid asking him if he needed anything." She grinned. "It's kind of sad how often that one works. Don't let Ike get away! Sigrun and Tainith can handle the empire for you, and I'll pretend you're ill and I'm taking care of you."

"I'll do it!" said Sanaki, grinning herself.

__

If you got one heart you are following,  
one dream keeps you wondering,  
Love lights your way through the night.  
One wish keeps you trying,  
what's your silver lining?  
Love lights your way through the night!

Sanaki took the clothes that Elya had brought her. She went into her closet and changed into them. A pair of simple travelling breeches, a light, flexible top, and a thick fleece poncho with a hood. She came back into her room where Elya waited.

"Wow! You look great, Sanaki!" she cried, laughing.

"It feels good," said Sanaki, stretching.

"Good riding clothes," said Elya, smiling. "With a horse you'd catch up with Ike in no time, since he's on foot."

Sanaki grinned. "And I know where to get one, too," she said.

__

You can fall a thousand times  
You can feel like you've lost your mind  
Love will find a way

Sanaki looked at the piece of paper. It seemed to be everything she would need on her journey. She thought a second, then added some herbs she knew were medicinal to the list. Elya stood at the door. "You can't go out, or they'll see you're not sick at all," Elya said. "Let me get the stuff for you."

"Thanks," said Sanaki.

"Anything to keep you from moping like that forever. Who would I play pranks on the senate with then?"

__

In a minute it can change your life.  
In a moment it can make you right.  
Love will find a place.

Sanaki looked down at the paper. _How, in the Name of the Goddess, do I start a letter this big? _She thought. _Well, 'Dear Tainith and Sigrun', could start it. _So she put that down. Then she added some things about how important the two were to her. Then she broke the news.

__

I'm going after Ike. He needs me, and I can't just stay behind again. I will come back afterward, this I swear to the Goddess. _Please, just pretend I am ill and gone for treatment, or tell that I've run off, or something. I can't let him be hurt while I sit and do nothing._

She put it in an envelope labelled 'To the captain of the Holy Guard, Tainith'.

__

If you got one heart you are following,  
one dream keeps you wondering,  
Love lights your way through the night.  
One wish keeps you trying,  
what's your silver lining?  
Love lights your way through the night!

It was dark. For a moment, fear gripped Sanaki's heart and she considered going back, but then her resolve steeled. No, she would not. She leaped easily onto her dark coloured horse, her pack at her back and her Tome in a specially crafted bag.

"Good luck," said Elya.

"I'll be back," said Sanaki, "With a tale of victory to tell."

"And Ike," laughed Elya.

"Perhaps," said Sanaki. "Bye, Elya." She spurred her horse on, and quickly disappeared into the night.

__

Goddess protect her,

thought Elya,

_and me if anyone ever finds out I helped her._

"See you, Sanaki," she whispered.

__

Everybody needs something to hold onto

The forest was dank and dark, and Sanaki's horse had a hard time keeping on its feet in the damp leaves and light rain. Concentrating, she created a small fireball to light her way. She wouldn't go back, not now. She couldn't.

__

Everybody needs something to hold on to

I can't go back, I know that. But where do I start, looking for a man who doesn't want to be found?

She rode slower, coming to a stop. _I know! A finding spell!_ She pulled out her map of Tellius and put her hands over it. She summoned her magic and thought of Ike. She remembered how his arms around her felt, how his voice sounded when he spoke softly, and how he laughed. She pictured him clearly in her head. And she felt the magic leave her body.

__

If you got one heart you are following,  
one dream keeps you wondering,  
Love lights your way through the night.

A dot appeared on the map. Ike! And he wasn't very far away at all! She oriented herself with the map, then set off toward him. The dot was still. He was either sleeping, fighting, or... well, she wouldn't think about that. It wouldn't happen. Ike was too strong for that.

__

One wish keeps you trying,  
what's your silver lining?  
Love lights your way through the night!

"Oh, Goddess," Tainith said, looking at the letter. Silently, Elya dammed herself for not getting there more quickly.

"She did it," said Sigrun. "She got up the courage..." When Tainith shot her a glare, she said, "With a spirit like Sanaki, a freedom loving, strong young woman, do you really think she'd be content to sit meekly in Beignion, pretending nothing was wrong? If she's in love with him, do you think she _could_? And better she went now, with the peace that seems to be lasting, than in a time of war when all places are in danger. Tainith, you stay and act for her. Say she's ill. I will go after her. Not to bring her back, she'd never forgive us for that. I'll find her, and whatever problem Ike's in, no doubt they could use some help."

__

One wish keeps you trying,  
find your silver lining.  
Love lights your way through the night!

The forest was dark, and Sanaki was tired. But she would not give up. She would find him, if it took her a million years. She had to find him. She _had_ to.

__

Love will find a way  
Love will find a way in your heart.

* * *

Please review again, if you're still reading! I love writing this, but if people like my other fics more, I'll wait on this one. Please tell me if you like it, I except any reviews! Logged or unlogged, I don't care! :D 


	6. Chapter 6

Three more reviews! Thankies! :D

Still don't own, still want revews. Please O.O

* * *

"Sanaki?" Ike's face was incredulous. "Oh, goddess no, Sanaki, please..."

This was not what Sanaki had intended at all. "Ike, I couldn't stay in Beignion. I couldn't function when I knew you were being hunted. The Senate thought I was ill, because Tainith and Sigrun were running the place for me. I had to come here and help you, Ike, else Beignion would have a broken-hearted, lamed Empress for ever."

"I can't let the assassin hurt you, and when you're with me, she will do it," Ike said. "Please... for your people, or my peace of mind, if nothing else."

"Goddess damn the assassin, then! I don't care in the least what she might do. I'll be prepared! She will feel my wrath if she ever comes anywhere near us." Sanaki was well and truly annoyed now. "And," she declared, "If you even _try_ to send me away now, you will have _two_ dangerous, angry women chasing you. Don't even try it. I found you once, and I will do it again."

Ike looked at her fuming face for a moment and realized nothing would shake her in her resolve. "Nothing I could say will turn you away, would it?"

"Absolutely nothing," Sanaki said firmly. "And you'd better believe it."

Suddenly, a smile appeared on Ike's face, quickly growing. Sanaki was surprised. With his late grimness, and his tiredness when he had returned, and the three years they had missed each other, she had almost forgotten what his smile looked like.

"Well," said Ike, "If I can't turn you away, I will be happy to have you along. Just promise me one thing, alright?"

"Promise you what?"

He hugged her. "Stay close."

"I will," said Sanaki. "I'm not giving you even a ghost of a chance to go running nobly off to your doom. I intend on getting us both out of here alive. That assassin, however... she won't be so lucky." Sanaki grinned an evil smile. "I've got a couple of new spells in my Tome, and a friend of mine figured out what you were researching. She found some more information from the servants and the nobles' libraries A maid can go places we can't without being noticed.."

"Was it that brown-haired girl? The one in the apron that was too big, who kept trying to give me lemonade?"

Sanaki laughed. "That was probably her. She has a strange obsession with lemonade."

Ike responded with a small chuckle. "She also seems to not listen to what I said. She offered it to me three times after I told her, none too gently, that I hate lemonade."

Sanaki laughed again. "That's Elya. She's of the firm opinion that everything men say is a lie and they shouldn't be trusted."

That made Ike laugh out loud. "Why are we talking about this anyway? We should be moving. Your horse is beautiful, by the way."

"One of the finest in Beignion," Sanaki said proudly. "He's been mine since I was about ten, and he was a foal. He can carry me like it's nothing. He can probably carry you, too."

"Good," said Ike. "That will give us a head start. And that's probably why you caught up with me so fast. Do you ride bareback?"

"I usually use a saddle, but I learned fast," said Sanaki. "Elya didn't know how to find or saddle a horse. I had to sneak into the stables, and my saddle wasn't there."

"Oh," said Ike. "Well, I know how to ride bareback. I rarely ride a horse, and I've never ridden with anything but a blanket. Can I mount?"

"Go ahead, you don't have to ask," said Sanaki. Ike climbed up onto the horse's back, and held a hand out to Sanaki. She took it and climbed on herself.

As the two rode down the forest road, Sanaki asked Ike, "So where do you plan on going, anyway? Anywhere in Tellius, she can probably find you."

"I'm not going to hide," said Ike. "She will absolutely find me. That's what I'm hoping. I was going to fight her a few times, get an idea of her style, then I was going to go set a trap for her, finish her off once and for all. Then, I was going to get a warning to Roy, tell him to destroy the Sword while he still can, before the Nanos find him. Then I was going to tell him to come here, to Tellius, and we'd do the same thing he did in Aya here."

"Sounds good," said Sanaki. "I can help with that. If I can conceal myself near where you fight, I can study her battles and figure out a hole to use. But there's one problem with that master plan of yours."

"A problem?" Ike asked.

"Yes. This leaves no room for returning to Beignion with me."

Ike smiled tenderly. "After the Nanos are gone, Sanaki, I promise you I will return to Beignion with you. I can't stay there all the time, but I will as much as possible."

"Thank you," Sanaki said. "Now, another thing... I need some help from you. I need to have better senses if I want to help you, after all, she got the better of me last time. I know a spell that could improve my senses a bit... but it needs two people to cast it, and they have to be very, very close, and the spell bonds them closer."

"You want me to help in the casting of a spell?" Ike asked. "One that will... bond us and make your senses keener?"

"Right," said Sanaki. "The spell basically makes us close enough for me to be aware on your behalf as well as my own. When we're in the same area it would be like having two pairs of eyes. It can be undone later."

"And does it work the opposite way?" Ike asked. "That would let me watch out for you."

"Yes," said Sanaki. "I assume it would."

"When can we do it?" asked Ike.

"Well, it's a simple spell, we could do it now."

"Let's do that. Keener senses for you would be good." Ike stopped the horse, and the two jumped down to land on the cool grass. Sanaki staggered a bit, exhausted from her long night's ride. Ike caught her elbow. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Sanaki said. "Just a bit tired. I was riding all night."

"And I never thought of that," said Ike. "Come, let's find a place to rest, and we can cast that spell, then go to sleep. So what do you need for it anyway?"

Sanaki cocked her head, trying to remember what the materials were. "A willow branch... water from a clear spring... hazelnuts, two of them... and a shell, which I have in my pack." She pulled the shell out and showed it to Ike.

Ike and Sanaki searched the forest until they found what Sanaki needed. She filled the shell with the clear water, so pure it was clear as air. She broke the willow branch in half, and cracked open the hazelnuts with a small knife she kept. She tossed one to Ike. "Eat half the nut," she said, doing the same herself with the other nut. The remainders she cast into the shell of water. She took half the willow stick and put the other half into Ike's hand. "Put the whole end in the water and hold the broken end," she said, doing it with her stick. Ike did as he was directed, and Sanaki felt power well up in the shell. Keeping the stick in the water, she opened her Tome, flipped to the page she had wrote the spell in, and read out the words.

She went through the strange language fairly easily, having studied it a couple of times. As the ritual went on, she felt more and more detached, and knew the spell was working. She saw, as if from a distance, the power in the shell grow, and the shell glowed slightly, cutting through the last of the dark as dawn began to shine. Sanaki heard her horse make low noises. This ritual always made him skittish.

As she opened her mouth to tell Ike to drink half the water, she heard a rustle in the bushes. Her horse made a panicked noise, and rushed towards them. Sanaki threw herself out of the way of his panicked hooves, and Ike caught her in his arms. Sanaki felt something wet splash across her. The ritual was ruined and the water was all over her, and probably Ike. Just great. Just _great_. And what spooked the horse so much, anyway?

"A wolf," Ike breathed. Sanaki looked up. It was certainly a magnificent creature. Big as any Laguz, half as tall as her horse. Its eyes glowed yellow, a fierce, hungry light. It did not look like a pleasant creature. She hoped she need not fight it, with her exhaustion, coupled with her half-trance, she wasn't sure she could.

But she hadn't needed to worry. The wolf had smelled them, but it did not come after them. It slipped away and ran after the panicking horse. She hoped her horse wouldn't be the wolf's next meal, she liked the creature.

"There's a town in that direction," said Ike, practically reading her mind. "I daresay your horse will be fine. I suggest a place to rest, and a good one might be the farmhouse we saw to that direction. I doubt they'd recognise you, dressed like that, as long as you keep your hair under the cap, and I've been surprised how few people have recognised me. Have I changed so much?"

"Yes, you have," said Sanaki, "To the general public. The way you really act is different than how they perceive you, and even that has changed as you've grown older."

"Makes sense. So, the farmhouse, then?"

"Fine," said Sanaki. "Let's go." Ike took Sanaki's hand, and the two headed off through the forest toward the place they hoped to rest.

* * *

Oh, and thanks so much to my three more reviewers! -gives cookies-

PLEASE REVIEW! Tell me if you like, if you don't like, whatever you feel like telling me!


	7. Chapter 7

I hope this chapter is better than the last... it was kind of hard to write. This one felt more natural than the last. I always kind of thought of Mist as a poet, and here she is! Review please! I own nothing! The song is a modified version of 'Home to stay' by Josh Groban.

* * *

Mist bent over the blank book Titania had given her for a diary in an attempt to comfort her. She put pencil to paper, looking for the words that had always been so easy to set down. _Ike... _she thought. _When will you come home? _Words began to flow, and she put down:

__

I know you're gone  
I watched you leave.

I always thought  
that it was me.

You made it clear  
with that last kiss.  
You couldn't live a life  
with 'maybe's' and 'whatif's'

He was gone. He had hugged her, kissed her on the forehead like he had done when they were children, turned, and left. Ike had always been happiest travelling, but she loved their home in Crimea. And it was still her home. The young healer had stayed with the Mercenaries, along with Rhys, Titania, Boyd, Oscar, Rolf, Mia, and a couple of others. They didn't do much, mostly fighting off bandits, so Mist had taken up poetry as a hobby. Ike, though he had a home here, had chosen to travel, see places beyond Tellius. When would he come home? She wrote again.

__

When every boat  
has sailed away,  
and every path  
is marked and paved.

When every road  
has had its say.  
Then I'll be bringing you back home  
to stay

'Don't worry, Mist,' Ike had said. 'It'll seem like no time at all.' But she hadn't believed him, and she had been right not to. Three years he had been gone. Only one letter, sent from Beignion right before he left the continent. And she had wondered. What was happening out there?

__

I have the card you sent to me.  
You wrote of ships and ancient galleries.  
This spring you'll draw  
canals, and frescoed walls.  
Look how far your dreaming's gone.

"Mist?" Titania said, coming into the room. "Are you alright?" The older woman, like a mother to Mist, looked over her shoulder at the poem in her notebook. "Oh. Still missing Ike?"

"Mmhmm." Mist said. "When do you think he'll come back?"

"I... don't know," said Titania. "I don't know. You're not the only one who misses him, Mist. But think, when he comes back, think of all the stories he'll have to tell."

Mist wordlessly continued writing.

__

When every town looks just the same,  
when every choice gets hard to make,  
when every map is put away,  
then I'll be bringing you back home  
to stay.

"I have to go," Titania said. "There's a pack of giant wolves bothering a town, and they're hiring us to get rid of them. You and Rolf stay behind with Oscar, alright?"

"Fine," said Mist. As Titania left, she asked, "Titania... why do you think Ike left?"

"Mist, Ike is a warrior, a traveller, a wandering soul. He's like your father was. I don't think he could be happy staying here and fighting off bandits and wolves. He needs to see new things, and you know how he always wondered what was outside Tellius. He's a free spirit, and he'd be recognised everywhere he went now. I think he just wants to be mostly forgotten here, and to see new places. He'll be back. Remember? He promised."

__

And now I know why you had to go alone.  
Isn't there a place between?

After a while, Oscar called her name. "Mist!" he said. "Dinner's ready."

Mist picked up her notebook and pencil, carried it down to the big table. It felt empty with only three of them there. She added to her poem.

__

When every boat  
has sailed away,  
and every path  
is marked and paved.

When every road  
has had its say.  
Then I'll be bringing you back home  
to stay.

"What are you writing, Mist?" Oscar asked as he brought in plates of food.

"A poem," she said.

"What are you calling it?"

"... I'm not sure."

"Can I read it when you're done?"

"Sure." As Oscar put a steaming plate in front of her, she added one last bit to her poem.

__

Reach out to me,  
call out my name,  
and I would bring you back again...  
today.

* * *

Review! See, it's right down there... If anyone can spot the connection in this to what was happening in the last chapter, cookies for them! Actually, cookies for anyone who will review! :D 


	8. Chapter 8

Ok, sorry for the long space in between updates, but here I am again! :D I am working on a birthday present for a friend. Regrettably I will not be posting it, but it will take up some of my time.

Well, on with the story!

* * *

"Oh," said Titania, looking at the truly gigantic creature from the doorway of a house. "Now I see what they meant when they said 'giant wolves'. I only hope we got here in time."

"Travel time is travel time," said Rhys, "and we can't help that we live a long while from here."

"Thank you for coming," said Titania. "I know you're busy."

"Though it may be my own and my home, I still want to see the world outside. The children can go without lessons for awhile, or someone else can teach them. You need a healer, and I would worry should I have stayed behind." Rhys smiled at Titania, who returned it with one of her own.

"Well," she said, getting the attention of Mia, Zihark and Boyd, who had come with them, and Tormod and Muarim, who had joined on the way. Tormod was never one to miss action, and, as he said, 'with Soren too far away, you might need me.' The group quieted down to look at Titania. "We should get started," she said.

Muarim immediately transformed into his green tiger form. Tormod took out his tome from his old mage clothes, and Mia and Zihark drew their swords. Boyd and Titania pulled out their axes, and Rhys whispered a prayer and brought out his staff.

"Let's go," said Titania. She rode forward, and the wolf whipped around. They traded blows, axe and claw. It wasn't long before the wolf was felled.

"There will be more," said Zihark, moving to a position of strength next to a wall. "Creatures like this, where they appear, usually travel in packs. And one wolf couldn't have made everyone run."

Sure enough, another large creature barrelled out of a storeroom. Bits of dried meat hung from its jaws. It was beheaded in a single jumping attack from Zihark.

Another raced down the street, from the way they had come. Meat strips hung from its jaws too, and blood. Titania hoped the blood had come from the meat.

Mia stepped in front of Rhys, the most vulnerable of the group, and held her sword out. It swiftly attacked, and Mia flew into a whirl of counters. The creature was fast, but she was faster. Boyd stepped between Tormod and another wolf, and Tormod readied his fire spell.

Another wolf came down the street. In its jaws was scraps of dried meat, again. Its mouth was full of what looked like rations. Titania, flanking a wolf with Zihark, decided to go after it as soon as this one was finished with.

"Hey! Get back here and die!" Rhys heard someone shout.

A boy, ten perhaps, ran down the street, brandishing a sword. "That meat was ALL WE HAD!" the kid shouted. He leaped onto the wolf's back, stabbing at it with his sword.

The wolf pulled back a paw and knocked the kid off of its back. The boy was flung to the ground, where he leaped to his feet and attacked again. The wolf's claws slid out.

Rhys looked around, desperate. All his comrades were fighting something. He pushed past Mia, who was in front of him, and raced across the square. He reached the kid just as the wolf was about to strike. "Watch out!" Rhys said, yanking him away.

"Rhys!" shouted Titania. He whirled around to see another wolf behind him. The two closed in, and Rhys pushed the boy backwards. They were backed up against a wall. He held up his staff in a last defence and prayed to the goddesses.

Titania rode at one of the wolves, axe flying. It was sent crashing to the ground. "Get up here!" she shouted. She grabbed Rhys by the shoulder of his robe and yanked him up onto her horse. Rhys pulled the kid up after him. Rhys bent down and shoved the child's head down as Titania's axe spun over their heads.

"Stay down," Rhys said quietly to the kid. "She needs room to swing." The kid nodded as Titania finished off the creature.

Titania rode over to an alley, where the kid jumped off. "Rhys," she said, "Never do that to me again." She hugged him tightly.

"I won't," he promised, surprised. He patted her on the arm.

"Good," said Titania.

Rhys got off of her horse. Then he saw blood on his vest. Her blood. "Titania, you're injured!" he said. He raised his staff, called on the power the goddesses had given. The wound healed.

"Oh..." said Titania. "I hadn't noticed that. I was... never mind. Just please... don't scare me like that."

Rhys watched as she rode off, poleax whirling again.

"Can you tell your wife thanks for saving me?" said the kid.

Rhys felt himself turn red. "She's not my wife," he said. "She's my commander."

The kid blushed with embarrassment. "Sorry," he said. "I just assumed... I'll be going now. Thanks!" The kid fled down the alley like he had wings on his feet.

Then, down the alley, Rhys heard an 'owch! What the hell-' from a familiar voice, a 'sorry! Gotta go!' from the kid, and footsteps up the alley.

Ike walked into view, followed by a young woman dressed in riding clothes. Ike stopped in his tracks. "Rhys!" he said.

Rhys smiled. "Ike. Good to see you."

"Who else is here?" Ike asked.

"Titania, Mia, Zihark, Muarim, Tormod, and Boyd," Rhys said.

A look of joy came across Ike's face. Then he stopped. "So why was that kid running like he was being chased by a demon?"

"Erm..." said Rhys. "I tried to rescue him from a wolf, Titania rescued both of us, and he asked me to thank 'my wife' for saving him." He was blushing again, he _knew _it.

Ike looked at Rhys incredulously for a moment. Then, a sparkle came into his eyes and he sputtered with laughter. The girl next to him looked vastly amused. Rhys thought she looked familiar... but where had he met her before...

"You said they're fighting?" said Ike.

Rhys nodded. "Wolves," he said.

Ike turned to the girl at his side. "Well, do you think they could use some help, Sanaki?"

Rhys looked shocked. That was Empress Sanaki? But it was, the facial features were the same. And under her cap was purple hair.

"What do you say we surprise them?" Sanaki asked, smiling.

"Sounds good," said Ike. He drew his sword and Sanaki pulled out her Tome. Rhys moved out of their way, and they charged into battle.

* * *

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